Hair curler with means for ejecting fluid



" Nov. 30, 1965 R. A. ZINZEL 3,220,423

HAIR CURLER WITH MEANS FOR EJECTING FLUID Filed May 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ENTOR.

ROBERT ZINZEL BY SSH-9M c05 Nov. 30, 1965 R. A. ZINZEL HAIR CURLER WITH MEANS FOR EJECTING FLUID 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10 1963 INVENTOR.

& ROBERT A ZINZEL BY flufidvm tr w United States Patent 3,220,423 HAIR CURLER WITH MEANS FOR EJECTING FLUID Robert A. Zinzel, Miami, Fla., assignor to Kathrine Whitehouse Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. N 0. 279,480 7 Claims. (Cl. 13241) This invention relates to hair curlers and is directed particularly to improvements in hair curlers of the type used in setting and treating the hair in achieving so-called home permanents.

The procedure of putting waves in the hair by-the use of the home permanent process involves the use of hair curlers upon which locks or tresses of the hair are rolled, after which a chemical waving fluid is applied from the outside and left on for a predetermined interval of time, which fluid serves to break down the cellular structure of the hair and thereby induce curling. After such interval of time, the hair in curlers is usually rinsed, and a fluid neutralizing agent is similarly applied to the hair on the curlers, which serves to neutralize the waving fluid to render it ineffective in further acting on the hair. After a predetermined interval, the curlers are removed and the hair rinsed and set to complete the home permanent. In this process, not only must care be taken to insure that the proper amounts of fluid, particularly waving fluid, be applied to each curled tress, lest one hair tress be made too wavy and brittle and another not Wavy enough, but also, because of the caustic nature of these waving and neutralizing fluids, great care must be exercised to prevent spilling on the skin and particularly the eyes. Moreover, because of the time involved in treating each curled hair tress as applied in sequence to its curler, it is diflicult to control the uniformity of time that the Waving fluid is allowed to act on each individual tress, thereby to achieve uniform waving.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide an improved hair curler for home permanents which obviates the above described difliculties and deficiencies in hair curlers presently known and used.

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a hair curler for home permanents wherein the hair treating fluids, whether waving, neutralizing or tinting agents, are uniformly applied along and through the length of the curled tress from the inside of the curler, by the use of prepackaged cartridges containing the precise quantity of fluid required for proper and uniform treatment of each tress.

Yet another object is to provide a hair curler of the character above described wherein the fluid, being applied from the inside of the curler outwardly, insures complete saturation of the outer ends of the curled tresses without the necessity of special handling and treatment thereof, as often required when lotion is applied from the outside or root end portions of the curled tresses in the use of ordinary curlers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved hair curler of the above nature wherein hand contact with the chemical fluids, and dripping thereof, is kept to an absolute minimum.

Still another object is to provide a hair curler and waver of the character above described wherein all the curlers used in giving a permanent can be placed in the hair prior to the application of the waving fluid, and wherein the application of the fluid thereafter can be effected so rapidly as to insure substantial uniformity in treatment time for each curler tress.

Yet another object is to provide a hair curler and waver of the character described which is simple enough to be entirely self-applied.

3,220,423 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 "ice Still another object is to provide a hair curler device for home permanents which will be simple in structure, fool-proof in operation, economical, and durable in use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair curler embodying the invention, shown with a tress of hair wound therein;

FIG. 2 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the hair curler, shown separately;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the curler in longitudinal cross-section;

FIG. 4 illustrates a tubular cartridge of chemical fluid for use with the hair curler;

FIG. 5 illustrates, in reduced scale, how a plurality of fluid cartridges can be formed in a continuous string for packaging, prior to being separated or cut apart for use;

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line Ill-10 of FIG. 9 in the direction of the arrows and illustrating ejection of the fluid. into a hair tress curled on the curler spindle.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 in FIGS. 1 and 9 designates, generally, an improved hair curler for home permanents embodying the invention, the same comprising a body or spindle member 11 and a saddle member 12 removably secured to said spindle member.

The body or spindle member 11, which is preferably injection molded of a moderately hard synthetic plastic material such as polypropylene, comprising a spindle portion 13, generally tubular in shape and formed of a plurality of longitudinal circumferentially-spaced, axiallyextending frame members 13a joined at spaced intervals along their lengths by circumferential ring members 13b, which together define a multiplicity of spindle openings 14- for the passage of hair treating fluids, as is hereinbelow more fully described. As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the spindle frame members 13a are preferably triangular in cross-sectional shape, with their apices directed radially outwardly to minimize the contacting surface area of the spindle with a hair tress wound or curled thereon.

The spindle frame members 13a at one end merge with a spindle end portion 15 of increased diameter through an intermediate annular fillet 16. The spindle end portion 15 extends into a coaxial, decreased-diameter portion 17 which, in turn, extends into a coaxial, increaseddiameter portion 18 defining, with said spindle end portion and said decreased-diameter portion, an annular groove 19. As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 9, the outer face of the spindle portion 15 is chambered, as indicated at 20.

The cylindrical inner wall defined by the spindle portion 13 of the spindle member 11 opens into a coaxial tapered opening 21 in the spindle end portion 15 which, in turn, communicates with a coaxial cylindrical opening 22 of slightly greater diameter than that of the spindle inner wall. The spindle frame members 13a at the other end merge with a spindle end portion 23 of increased diameter through an intermediate annular fillet 24. The

spindle end portion 23 extends into a coaxial, decreaseddiameter portion 25 which, in turn, extends into a coaxial, increased-diameter portion 26 defining, with said spindle end portion and said decreased-diameter portion, an annular groove 27. The outer face of the spindle portion 23 is charnfered, as indicated at 28.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 9, the increased-diameter portion 26 has integrally formed therewith an axial, outwardly-extending lug member 29 serving as a handle or finger grip when turning the spindle member 11 to wind a tress of hair thereon.

Coaxially fitted within the interior cylindrical opening defined by the inner surface of the spindle portion 13 is a plunger shaft 30. The plunger shaft 30 is formed at one end with a reduced-diameter portion 31 which extends into a domed conical portion 31a, said reduced diameter poltion being pressed for a snap lock fit into complimentary openings 32, 32a provided in the closed end of the spindle member 11, i.e., the end opposite the openings 21, 22. The plunger shaft 30 is substantially coextensive within the tubular spindle portion 13, and terminates at its free end in a conical end portion 33.

For the purpose hereinafter appearing, the cylindrical outer surface of the plunger shaft 30 is formed with a six-lead screw thread 34, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10.

The saddle member 12, which is preferably integrally molded of a relatively soft synthetic material such as copolymer ethylene, comprises a pair of spaced, coaxially-arranged C-shaped ends 35, 35a formed with radiallyextending arms 36, 36a, respectively, the outer ends of which are joined by a normally inwardly-bowed interconnecting bar 37. The bar 37 projects at each end into finger grip tab portions 37a and 37b. The C-shaped ends 35, 35a are also formed wtih radially-extending, opposed arm pairs 38, 38a and 39, 39a the outer ends of which arm pairs are joined by inwardly-bowed, interconnecting bars 40, 41, respectively, said arms and the arms 36, 36a being so arranged about said C-shaped ends that the interconnecting bars 40 and 41 are spaced approximately ninety circular degrees to each side of the interconnecting bar 37.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cartridge 42 for use with the abovedescribed hair curler, the same comprising a length of resilient tubing, preferably of an extruded synthetic plastic material, heat-sealed at each end, as indicated at 43 and 44 and containing a measured quantity of hair treating fluid 45.

In use, a hair tress will be wound upon the spindle members 10 in the usual way, after which the saddle member 12 will be attached to hold the curler in place, as illustrated in FIG. 1. It is to be noted that the resiliency of the C-shaped ends 35, 35a permit them to open and hook into the annular grooves 19, 27 at each end of the spindle member 10, thereby holding said saddle member firmly in place in snap-on fashion. The resiliency of the interconnecting bars 37, 40 and 41 permits their deformation to the outer contour of the wound tress, as illustrated in FIG. 1, upon which they press resiliently to hold the wound tress snugly in place. After all the curlers are placed in the hair, fluid cartridges 42 will be applied one at a time by cutting off one end, as indicated along the broken line C in FIG. 1, for example, and then pushing the open end all the way inwardly upon the plunger shaft 30 with uniformly applied axial pressure on the outer end of the cartridge, as indicated in FIG. 9, whereupon the hair treating fluid will, by virtue of the six-lead screw thread 34, be ejected forcefully from the screw channels thereof and projected substantially tangentially at a plurality of circularly spaced positions through the spindle openings 14 as the cartridge moves from one end to the other within the spindle portion 13 of the spindle member 11. A precise quantity of hair treating fluid will thus be uniformly and forcefully applied along the interior zone of the tress wound upon the curler,

which quantity of fluid, by capillary attraction and absorption, will substantially uniformly permeate the wound tress. It will be apparent that, once the curlers are in place, the measured quantities of hair treating fluid provided in the cartridges can quickly be applied to each curler in sequence without fuss or mess, and that if the same sequence is preserved in subsequent operations, such as the neutralizing treatment in permanent waving, strict uniformity of time intervals for each treatment can readily be achieved for best results. It is to be noted that the internal diameter of the cartridges 42 is such as to provide a close sliding fit on the plunger shaft 30, so that when a cartridge is applied thereon as described above to constrain fluid flow to forceful ejection from the channels provided by the six-lead screw thread 32, back pressure upon the interior of the cartridge will prevent any possibility of collapse of the cartridge due to careless manipulation thereof in its insertion.

FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred construction of the fluid cartridges for a particular hair treatment, wherein a length of plastic tubing filled with the fluid is heatsealed at equidistantly-spaced intervals along its length to provide linked cartridges 42 which can readily be packaged by folding one upon the other and which can be cut or otherwise separated as required for use.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is given by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment, the combination comprising, a tubular spindle member adapted to receive a tress of hair wound circumjacent thereon, the annular Wall of said spindle member having a plurality of through openings, means for holding in place a tress of hair wound on said spindle, and means for ejecting fluid under pressure from the interior of said tubular spindlerthrough said openings for saturating a hair tress wound thereon, said fluid ejecting means comprising a cylindrical plunger coaxially disposed within said tubular spindle member and substantially coextensive therewith, one end of said plunger being fixed with respect to and supported by one end of said spindle member, said plunger defining an elongated annular space Within said tubular member open at the other end of said tubular member, said plunger having surface irregularities along its peripheral wall, and a tubular cartridge circumjacently disposed with respect to said spindle and movable axially therealong.

2. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 1, said tubular cartridge containing a quantity of hair treatment fluid and being open at one end, the annular cross-sectional size of said cartridge being only slightly less than the cross-sectional size of said annular space, whereby said tubular ca-rtridge can be pushed on said plunger for forcefully ejecting by displacement fluid in said cartridge.

3. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 2 and wherein said surface irregularities along the peripheral wall of said plunger are in the form of multiple lead screw threads.

4. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 1 and wherein said tress holding means comprises a saddle member of substantially the same length as said spindle member, including means for removably securing the ends of said saddle member to respective ends of said spindle member, said saddle member being integrally formed with a resilient interconnecting bar operative, when said saddle member is secured to said spindle members, to overlie and resiliently press upon an outer portion of a tress wound on said spindle member.

5. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 4, and wherein said saddle member securing means comprises an annular groove formed at each end of said spindle member, and a resilient, C-shaped hook member formed at each end of said saddle member and operative to hook, one each, into said annular grooves.

6. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 1 wherein said tress holding means comprises a saddle member of substantially the same length as said spindle member, including means for removably securing the ends of said saddle member to respective ends of siad spindle member, said saddle member being integrally formed with three coextensive, parallel, resilient, interconnecting bars, arranged in substantially ninety circular degrees spaced relation, said bars being operative, when said saddle member is secured to said spindle member, to overlie and resiliently press upon outer portions of a tress wound on said spindle member.

7. A hair curler for home permanents or other hair treatment as defined in claim 6, and wherein said saddle member securing means comprises an annular groove formed at each end of said spindle member, and a resilient C-shaped hook member formed at each end of said saddle member and operative to hook, one each, into said annular grooves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,325,799 8/1943 Pountain 132 -33 2,423,252 7/1947 Nemeth 13233 2,429,176 10/1947 Watson 132-40 2,758,604 8/1956 Graf 13241 2,847,015 8/1958 Davis 13242 2,874,706 2/1959 Ficicchy 13242 2,896,619 7/1959 Bellamy 128214 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,158,685 1/1958 France. 1,247,508 10/1960 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. W. TRAPP, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HAIR CURLER FOR HOME PERMANENTS OR OTHER HAIR TREATMENT, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A TUBULAR SPINDLE MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TRESS OF HAIR WOUND CIRCUMJACENT THEREON, THE ANNULAR WALL OF SAID SPINDLE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF THROUGH OPENINGS, MEANS FOR HOLDING IN PLACE A TRESS OF HAIR WOUND ON SAID SPINDLE, AND MEANS FOR EJECTING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUBULAR SPINDLE THROUGH SAID OPENINGS FOR SATURATING A HAIR TRESS WOUND THEREON, SAID FLUID EJECTING MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL PLUNGER COAXIALLY DIS- 